PM opens door on New Zealand offer to resettle refugees from Nauru

Labor needs to support closing “back door’’ if Scott Morrison accepts Jacinda Ardern’s offer to take Nauru refugees.

Scott Morrison may be likely to accept Jacinda Ardern’s offer to take refugees from Nauru.

Scott Morrison has opened the way to allowing refugees on Nauru to be resettled in New Zealand if Labor backs legislation to prevent them from ever coming to Australia.

Senior government sources have confirmed the government would be “more likely” to accept New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s offer to take refugees from Nauru if the Coalition’s bill to close the so-called “back door” to Australia was passed by the Senate.

The 2016 bill was previously opposed by Labor and the Greens. But the government is prepared to bring the legislation on for an urgent vote if it receives assurances that Labor will change its position.

On Monday, the Prime Minister highlighted Labor’s refusal to back the bill, saying the government would not change its policy until “until that back door is shut”.

“We’ve introduced legislation into this place to prevent that backdoor movement of people from New Zealand into Australia.

“That legislation is not supported by those opposite, and we would ask them to consider that. The legislation has been sitting on the Senate Notice Paper, up in the other place, since 2016.”

The shift comes amid growing concerns within Coalition ranks over the fate of those in offshore detention centres, and moves by the government to shore up votes ahead of Saturday’s Wentworth by-election.

NSW Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman raised the issue on the Liberal party room meeting today, telling colleagues there was growing community concern about children in detention, and urging New Zealand be considered as a resettlement option in addition to the United States.

Three government backbenchers — Russell Broadbent, Craig Laundy and Julia Banks — told the Herald Sun the situation on Nauru had reached a “tipping point”.

They said a groundswell of public support, including from doctors and churches, had given the Morrison government an opportunity to offer a compassionate solution without weakening border security or abandoning refugee boat turnbacks.

The Herald Sun reported Mr Broadbent and Mr Laundy met Mr Morrison last month to ask for all children and their ­families on Nauru to be brought to Australia, giving priority to the children who need urgent medical treatment.

Ms Ardern reiterated her offer to take at least 150 refugees from Nauru at last month’s Pacific Island Forum, in response to a report detailing widespread depression and self-harm among refugees and asylum seekers on the island.